Ball-bearing trolley-wheel and harp.



S. TULLY, J B- BALL BEARING TROLLEY WHEEL AND HARP.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 2'7, 1908.

Patented Nov. 3, 1908.

l tween the wheel and wire, 1 v

the cost of maintenance of both. the wheel t UNXTE Lil- S armrest when.

i STEPHEN 'TULLY, in, or-rmLAnELrHrA, PENNSYLVANIA.

' BALL-BEARING TROLLEY-WHEEL AND HARP.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, STEPHEN TULLY, Jr.,

' citizenof the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented oer tain new and useful Improvements inBall:

Bearing Trolley-Wheels and Harps, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to trolley wheels and harps or mounts on which they are carried,

and particularly to a trolley wheel having lateral movement in its bearings from a true vertical position as well as a movement of rolubricating fluid tation around a vertical axis and a'horizontal axis, the object being to'provide a wheel which being laterally rotatable on an axial center from one side to the otherof. a vertical plane, accordingly reduces the friction bethereby' lessening and the wire.

A minor object is to provide for-carrying within the wheel itselfand permitting said fluid't o flowout into contact with the'f'ace of the wheel and its bearings.

' The invention consists in the arrangement :of..parts and details of Construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings and specifically Fi 're 1, is a longitudinal section of a whee and harp constructedaccording to my I invention. Fig. 2; 1s aside elevation-thereof one of the supporting arms of the harp being a broken away; Fig. '3, is a vertical section of.

the wheel. a p

Like reference characters throughout the several vlews designate like parts.

2- -2 designates the two arms or sections ofthe harp which are separated" from each other at theirupper ends and contact with each other alongitheir lower portions, the inner faces of these lower portlons or shanks 2',

' being flat and their outer faces curved as shown so that when placed together as'in Fig. 1, theymay be inserted within the usual tubular socket formed on the upper-end of the trolley pole. The two sections are held engaged with -2 and bearing against a shoulder 2 'is' a each other by screws 3 and a pin 4 is provided whereby the harp maybe keyed to the pole. Surrounding theshanks sleeve 5 provided with a perforated projecting lug 5 by which the usual trolley pole cord may be attached to the pole. It is obvious that the shanks'2. may be held within the trolley pole in any suitable manner and set forth in the claims'appended.

Specification of Letters Patent.

a. passage s herical portion 7 spherical chamber.

entirely divide which open upon the outer surface Patented Nov. 3,, 1908.

Application filed February 27, 1908. Serial No. 4122069.

that the wheelwill have a movement of rotation within the pole against the rounded outer faces'of-the' shanks 2, unless keyed to 'the'socket by pin 4.

At their upper ends the arms 2 arebroad ended. and provided with a bearing head 6 cast therewith. Preferably the upper ends of the arms project inwardly somewhat and are there formed with a concavo-convex web 6,, the interior surface of which is smooth forms the bearing surand semi-sphericaland The wheel. 7 has the face for a wheel 7.

usual rim flanges 7 and a spherical'central whose outer face is practically portion 7, v

contacts for its whole extent vbesmooth and tween'the rim flanges'with the concave su'rface 6 of the bearing 6; The interiorof this 011 chamber from whichout-lets lead to the horizontal axis of the wheel and from which Through this passage which is normally closed by a screwstopper or plug 8, oil may may pass through'the partitions and that the partitions shall act to stir up the oil and prevent it from coagulating;

At opposed points ofthe spherical shell or tween the partitions to the axial tral sphere at the axis thereof. It will be seen that: the dividing walls or. partitions 9 by 's hollow and forms an '8 extends to the. periphery."

sol

in number, which the walls of the 1 -85. the oil chamber so that-theoil chamber, ducts 10 lead from the space bepassages" 1 1 I of the cenreason of the openings therethrough only partially se arate the 'main oil, chamber into smaller 0 iambers and this construction provides that the division walls shall act as paddles to keep the oil in constant'movement and agitation so long as the wheel is in motion, thus making possible. the lubrication of the wheel to the last drop of oil inthe chambers. I 1 r v It is also to be pointed out that the rotation of the wheel against the concave face 6 will draw the oil out through the passages 10 and 11 and that a thin film of oil will befdistributed' entirely over the convex face of the between the wheel and the spherical bearings It will also be seen that inconcave faces 6; 1

asmuch as the central spherical portion of the tion between the trolley wheel and Wire and thus as before stated lessens the cost of maintenance. 1.1Tl wheel will adjust itself automatically to any sag, swing or angle of the trolley and'yet remain in proper contact with thetrolleywire. This is particularly valuable in roads where there .are numerous portion of the 'wheel.

curves or Where 1 the trolley wire and Wheel make sharp bends relatively to each other.

-For the sake of clearness, I have shown the wheel asI-formedin one piece, but it is of course understood that I may make it in any mannerrhdesire or find suitable. While I have shown the lug 8 as being inserted througlr theperi ileryof the wheel, the oil inlet passage might-extend. out at another It will also be understood that the bearings 3 might be reduced in size, though their inner surfaces would of course keep the curve ofthe spherical ortion of the wheel, and thus the angle t'irough which the wheel could turn laterally would begreater. c

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentis:

-1.- In a trolley wheel andharp therefor,

eoavei opposed upwardly extending arms separated at their upper ends and there-provided on their inner faces with concave bearings, and a wheel having a spherical central portion provided with unbroken smooth outer bearing surfaces, said spherical portion inclosing an oil chamber, transverse radially arranged artitions dividing the interior of the chamber and having openings through them and lateral oil outlet ducts leading from the chamber. on each side of said partitions to central passages one on each side,at the axial center of the s herical ortion whereby oil is conducted tot 1e outer, ateral surfaces of the 4;

spherical portion. v,

2. In a trolleyvwheel and harptherefor', opposed upwardly extending arms separated at their upper ends and there. prov ded. on

their inner faces with concave bearings,;the a 1 lower ends of said arms contacting with each other and having rounded exterior faces, means for holding said arms, together, a sleeve having an eye to which the trolley rope may beattached, a. wheel having a spherical central portion inclosing anoilchamber, said wheel being located between and bearing againstlthe said curvedbearings, and trans verse radially arranged partitions. dividing the interior of said oil chamber, saidpartitions havin openings through them" and being rovi ed with an oil inlet and lateral oil out ets at an axial center of said spherical portion.

Witnesses at signing:

STEPHEN TULLY, Sr. LYNDELL MYERS. 

